Air-brake attachment for logging-trains.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

A. D. MILLER.

AIR BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR LOGGING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 1904.

W] T NESSES 1 m Z m/M PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

A. D. MILLER.

AIR BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR LOGGING TRAINS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 28. 1904.

2 SHEETSSEEET 2.

' (III/11111 11111411 R E w z M [MM & w m? U WM? UNTTED STATES ATlVlLLD. MILLER, OF SEATTLE,

Patented April 25, 1905.

\V ASH INC TON.

AIR-BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR LOGGING-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 787,932, dated April 25,1905.

Application filed May 28,190 Serial No. 210,151.

Be it known that I, A'rwILL 1.). MILLER, a citizen of the United States.residing at Sel attle, in the county of King and State of \Vashington,have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Air-BrakeAttachments for Logging-'lrains. of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to air-actuated carbrakes, and more particularlyto the trainpipe therefor and the manner of connecting the pipe of onecar or truck to that of another.

lVhen making up logging-trains it is oftentimes necessary to space theseveral component trucks at varying distances apart to accommodate thelogs to be carried and which may differ in lengths from. say. eighteento one hundred and fifty feet. Because of such uncertainty in thepositioning of the trucks and the expense and inconvenience of having anassortment of different lengths of detachable hose for the purpose ofbridging the gaps between the train-pipes of the trucks the use ofatmospheric brakes upon logging-trains has proved to be so extremelyunsatisfactory that the hand-controlled brakes continue in usenotwithstanding the waste of time consumed to individually operate themand their inability to check the speed of the train traveling down steepgrades, frequently resulting in considerable damage and the loss oflife.

The object of the present invention is to provide a manner or means forovercoming the above-noted and other objection heretofore mentioned inthe use of air-brake appliances upon logging-cars.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof extensible train-pipe connections for logging-cars, tol get-her withoperating and regulating devices therefor, as will hereinafter bedisclosed in the specification, of which the drawings form a part, andin which Figure 1 is a plan view of a logging-truck provided withdevices embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectiontaken through the pipe-reel. Fig. 3 1s a cross-section on line .r .r ofFig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5, re- 1 speetively, are side and plan views of thereellocking devices shown in the other views.

Reference being first had to Fig. 1, 2 represents the frame or body of alogging-truck provided with wheels 3 and axles it, which are journaledin boxes 5, as usual. Attached to the truck are braking appliances, suchas shoes 6, brake-beams 7, and an air-cylinder S, operatively connectedto the said beams through the medium of rods 9 and lever 10. A trainpipe11, through which the actuating fluid is conveyed, extendslongitudinallyof the truclebody and is connected to the cylinder 8 by abranch pipe 12. This pipe connects by branch 12 with an axially-arrangedchamber 13 of a transversely-arranged and nonrotatablc shaft 1%. (SeeFigs. 2 and 3.) R0- tatably mounted upon said shaft is a reel 15,provided with a chambered hub 16, which is in constant communicationwith the chamber 13 through circmnferentially-disposed apertures 17 ofthe shaft. To prevent any leakage t'rom the hub, suitablestutiing-boxes, such as 18, are provided in its ends. Screwed into saidhub and projecting radially through the reel-drum is a pipe 19, to theend of which is coupled a flexible pipe or hose 20, adapted to be woundabout the reel-drum, and upon its outer end is provided a half-coupling21, whereby the pipe is communicatively connected to a registeringhalf-coupling upon another truck and corresponding with 22 on the truckshown and, similarly thereto, is attached by a flexible tube to its pipe11. A retractile coil-spring 2% is positioned interiorly of thereel-drum and it fastened thereto and to the shaft by screws 25 or othersuitable means.

26 is a ratchet-wheel integrally secured or formed on the reel and isnormally engaged for restraining the action of said spring by thedetent-pawl end 27 of bell-crank 28, which is fulcrumed by pin 29 to thetruck-frame. The other arm, 30, of this bell-crank projects upwardlythrough an elongated aperture 31 of a reach rod 32, extending throughsuitable socket-supports, as 33 and 33, to beyond the end of the truckand within easy reach of the attendant.

Provided upon the reach-rod are projecting studs 34 and 34:, adapted toengage with a corresponding recess or pocket 35 in the support 33 forthe purpose of securing the reachrod in its outer or inner set positionsand is retained in engagement in either of such positions by aspring 36,located within the socket of support 33, opposite to the recess thereof.The pawl is normally kept in engagement with the ratchet-wheel by aspring 38, provided in aperture 31 of the rod.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The trucks being securedtogether by the usual draw bars or chains for haulage, the hose is bypulling upon its end unwound from the reel against the action of theretractile spring within the latter and is then connected to the pipeend of the adjacent truck by the aforesaid half-couplings. The reach-rodis then slid in to tilt up and disengage the pawl from the ratchet-teethand allow the drum-spring to assert itself to wind the hose upon thedrum until the slack is removed from the hose and prevent its hanging,so as to drag upon the track ties. This being accomplished, thereach-rod is again pulled out to the position shown in Fig. 4: andpermitted to lock thereat by the engagement of the inner stud of the rodwith the pocket provided, thereby retaining the rod in such position asto cause the pawl to be again operative, while allowing the pipe beingdrawn out against the action of the drum-spring to compensate for anydifferences in length due to curves in the track.

I am aware that reels on which a hose is wound and provided with hollowaxles through which a fluid is supplied to the wound hose have been usedfor other purposes and are very old devices. I do not claim this; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a logging car or truck, the combination with the brake appliancesincluding an air-cylinder, and a train-pipe terminating in a flexibleend provided with ahalf-coupling; of a hose communicating with thetrain-pipe and provided with a half-coupling, a reel for the hose, and aretractile spring for causing the reel to rotate and wind up the hose.

2. In combination with a railway truck or car provided with brakeappliances including an air-cylinder and a train-pipe; of a hollowshaft, a reel rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a retractile springconnected to the reel and to the shaft, a hose wound about the reel andcommunicating with the train-pipe through the hollow shaft, aratchet-wheel integrally connected with the reel, a pawl normallyengaging the ratchet-wheel, and means extending to the end of the truckor car for disengaging the pawl.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ATVVILL D. MILLER.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, M. E. BREWER.

